If I had to rank changes to aviation that have occurred over the last 10 years and then pick the top 3, there is no question what those top 3 would be. We are far better off as pilots today because of the GPS, the I-Pad, and noise canceling headsets (not necessarily in that order).…
As a guy who has lost all engine power in flight and survived to tell the story (read this story), I’d like to think I have a good perspective on teaching a good engine-out technique. However, the more I consider that particular occurrence, the more I count my blessings and realize that I was not…
When I think of the FAA, I think of a guy meeting me at the airplane with a ball cap that says “FAA” in big bold yellow letters. He’s there “to help”, but always asks for the license and medical and looks around for anything looking abnormal; rarely does he “help”. I’ve had a few…
I got to fly a King Air 200T from Mali, Africa to the US. See the route of my flight here. I was held up in Bamako, Mali (Africa) for about 4 days longer than expected as I awaited the entirety of the aircraft logbooks to be delivered for a King Air 200T. Ridgeaire (www.ridgeaire.com)…
I’ve had the experience of flying in some really wide cockpits, meaning that the pilot and copilot’s seats were far from each other laterally, the most notable example for me is the UH-60 Blackhawk. When transitioning into the Blackhawk, the perspective provided when flying from the left seat as compared to the right seat is…
I’m now home after a flight home (JSO) from Wichita Falls, TX (SPS). Here’s the story behind the dust storm and my flight decisions that day. I used a No-Go list to help me decide what to do. I recommend you make a list of no-go parameters which are tailor-made to your level of experience.…
Here I sit at the Wichita Falls TX airport (SPS) looking at a brownish-reddish sky on what would otherwise be a clear-blue sky day. The surreal look appears much like a lunar eclipse is occurring, but that is not the case. The sky is a different color because the wind is blowing hard and a…
Buzzards are some of the most interesting and most observed animals in the U.S. They are found in all 48 lower states, predominantly in the southeast US. A few interesting fact: they are federally protected, they can live to an incredibly long age (38+ years), and when they circle, they are probably not circling over…
A horse and rider…it is a beautiful metaphor for many situations in life. When I think of a horse and rider, I think of a beautiful sunset being viewed by a silhouetted cowboy sitting upon his best friend after a hard days work rounding up cattle. The two together are a highly productive unit…the cowboy’s…
As a pilot of a 1989 Piper Malibu Mirage, I get to fly all over our great country and have experienced many interesting non-scheduled “events” while flying. On a recent trip from Central Florida to South Carolina, I had one of those events. It was a pleasant day for flying, aside from the routine incessant…